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The year was 2015, the Santa Cruz concept pickup was shown off at the LA auto show sporting a turbo diesel with 190 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. Excitement was strong for Hyundai to bring a mid-size pickup to market. Yet folks' excitement started to wane when no truck came out in the preceding few years. It took Hyundai till 2021 to finally bring out an all-new Santa Cruz pickup. Now there are rumors of Hyundai bringing out an electric pickup. This has been confirmed based on two independent trademark filings. First was a filing for IONIQ T10 on December 27th, 2023 and confirmed by the governments trademark office on February 1st, 2024. Now we have discovered an additional filing that was also done on December 27th, 2023 for an IONIQ T7 that was confirmed on February 9th 2024. In looking at these details, it appears that these have been filed as follows: Automobiles; electric cars; parts and accessories for automobiles; hybrid cars; dump cars; buses; passenger cars; passenger cars for more than seven passengers; trucks; lorries; sports utility vehicles; motors for land vehicles; motorcycles Hyundai has an all-new e-LCV or Light Commercial Vehicle electric platform that they just recently signed an agreement with European based IVECO Group for building 1/2 ton to one-ton electric delivery vans. Hyundai has stated that the e-LCV platform could also be used for a large assortment of EVs including trucks. Hyundai went on a registration spree in summer of 2020 for IONIQ 1 to IONIQ 10 registering these 10 numbers and having it all confirmed as registered names by August 2021. The filings for two T-numbered IONIQ would tend to imply that a mid-size and full-size pickup truck could be headed to the North American Market. Recently Hyundai also registered these same two trademark names in Australia, we would also not be surprised if they were also registered in the European Union. So then could this be the future Hyundai Family of Trucks? Based on Hyundai's current EV motors, having a RWD truck with 300 to 500 horsepower or AWD with 600 to 1,000 horsepower is not too farfetched. What do you the reader think? Is Hyundai capable of entering the pickup truck market in both mid-size and full-size electrified trucks? -
The year was 2015, the Santa Cruz concept pickup was shown off at the LA auto show sporting a turbo diesel with 190 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. Excitement was strong for Hyundai to bring a mid-size pickup to market. Yet folks' excitement started to wane when no truck came out in the preceding few years. It took Hyundai till 2021 to finally bring out an all-new Santa Cruz pickup. Now there are rumors of Hyundai bringing out an electric pickup. This has been confirmed based on two independent trademark filings. First was a filing for IONIQ T10 on December 27th, 2023 and confirmed by the governments trademark office on February 1st, 2024. Now we have discovered an additional filing that was also done on December 27th, 2023 for an IONIQ T7 that was confirmed on February 9th 2024. In looking at these details, it appears that these have been filed as follows: Automobiles; electric cars; parts and accessories for automobiles; hybrid cars; dump cars; buses; passenger cars; passenger cars for more than seven passengers; trucks; lorries; sports utility vehicles; motors for land vehicles; motorcycles Hyundai has an all-new e-LCV or Light Commercial Vehicle electric platform that they just recently signed an agreement with European based IVECO Group for building 1/2 ton to one-ton electric delivery vans. Hyundai has stated that the e-LCV platform could also be used for a large assortment of EVs including trucks. Hyundai went on a registration spree in summer of 2020 for IONIQ 1 to IONIQ 10 registering these 10 numbers and having it all confirmed as registered names by August 2021. The filings for two T-numbered IONIQ would tend to imply that a mid-size and full-size pickup truck could be headed to the North American Market. Recently Hyundai also registered these same two trademark names in Australia, we would also not be surprised if they were also registered in the European Union. So then could this be the future Hyundai Family of Trucks? Based on Hyundai's current EV motors, having a RWD truck with 300 to 500 horsepower or AWD with 600 to 1,000 horsepower is not too farfetched. What do you the reader think? Is Hyundai capable of entering the pickup truck market in both mid-size and full-size electrified trucks? View full article -
Pickup Trucks Are the Bright Spot In Second Quarter Sales
William Maley posted an article in Automotive Industry
Automakers for the most part were hurting in sales during the second quarter. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economy coming to a screeching halt for a brief time caused new car sales to drop by a third according to Automotive News. But there is a slim silver lining to this, full-size pickups have moved into being the best-selling segment of vehicles. According to data from Automotive News, one out of four vehicles sold between April and June was a pickup truck. This helped put them ahead of compact crossovers, which have held the top spot for some time. The reason is that trucks didn't take as big of a hit due to 0 percent financing offers from automakers to help bring in buyers. A large number of dealers said they sold the majority of trucks sitting on their lots. Mark LaNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service provides another reason why trucks didn't fall off a cliff. Speaking to AN, he said that people need trucks for work and "affluent consumers who often buy such vehicles have been less affected by the pandemic." Trucks still took quite the hit in the quarter, Chevrolet Silverado: Down 14% Ford F-Series: Down 23% GMC Sierra: Down 4% Ram: Down 35% Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) -
Automakers for the most part were hurting in sales during the second quarter. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economy coming to a screeching halt for a brief time caused new car sales to drop by a third according to Automotive News. But there is a slim silver lining to this, full-size pickups have moved into being the best-selling segment of vehicles. According to data from Automotive News, one out of four vehicles sold between April and June was a pickup truck. This helped put them ahead of compact crossovers, which have held the top spot for some time. The reason is that trucks didn't take as big of a hit due to 0 percent financing offers from automakers to help bring in buyers. A large number of dealers said they sold the majority of trucks sitting on their lots. Mark LaNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service provides another reason why trucks didn't fall off a cliff. Speaking to AN, he said that people need trucks for work and "affluent consumers who often buy such vehicles have been less affected by the pandemic." Trucks still took quite the hit in the quarter, Chevrolet Silverado: Down 14% Ford F-Series: Down 23% GMC Sierra: Down 4% Ram: Down 35% Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
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NEURON EV CES 2020 has been a busy place this year with more auto companies showing of prototypes and finally production ready auto's than ever before. We have seen so much including the latest in super dense solid state batteries for the EVs to motorcycles and bikes. This year we now get to see the latest competition to Tesla and Rivian in a well funded California / China based EV auto company called NEURON EV. This company has a swiss army knife of a truck/suv auto as well as a Semi truck that they say is going into production in 2020. The truck which is seen here in Silver has a sister truck that was running around the streets which is the following Black T-One. All the details you could ever want can be found here on this truck: https://www.neuronev.co/new-products/t-one-p-gyrwr The cool thing about this modular truck is that is can be more than a truck, a tractor, a van. there are no limits to how one can configure up this beast of an EV. The seat options are an interesting take as you can go like how Tesla showed their Semi with a center driving position as a base 3 seat configuration of 3 captain chairs, or a single drivers captain chair and a bench seat behind for 4 people and go from there to cover a wide range of colors, materials, etc. in customizing your auto. While this company is looking at this modular truck and semi for the US, in china they will have many more auto options including their V.E.G.A. or Versatile Electric Grand Automobile. The company has great plans and while they have only two models for the US market, China will get many more that includes a medium duty truck, a bus, a MAP or Multipurpose Autonomous Platform focused on shipping yards, a HUB or autonomous transportation auto, in addition to the car, semi and truck. NEURON EV has not released any details about their hp / torque other than to say class leading at this time. Two wheel drive and All Wheel Drive will be the choices folks will have and talk of a base 300 mile range battery pack. More details are to come later this year. First Press release of 2020 can be found here: https://www.neuronev.co/01102020 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69MUFfq-4W8qxUWcGltBUg
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Mitsubishi dealers are living in interesting times. After a tumultuous fall in sales after the recession, the last year and a quarter has given Mitsubishi double digit gains in sales. Sales for 2018 rose 14 percent and so far this year, sales are up an astonishing 17.6 percent. The question for Mitsubishi is where do they go from here? With two small crossovers, a large one, and a subcompact car, the next logical answer for their dealers is adding a mid-size pickup to the mix. Mitsubishi last offered a pickup in the Mitsubishi Raider which was a rebadged Dodge Dakota. Now part of the Nissan-Renault alliance, Mitsubishi is reportedly taking the lead on building the platform for the next line of trucks for the trio. Mitsubishi currently builds the Triton for other global markets, while Nissan fields the Navara, and Renault produces the Alaskan. All three would be consolidated to a single platform headed by the Mitsubishi effort in about 5 years. Five years is an eternety in the automotive world, but it may be that the dealerships would need to wait that long to get their wish. It was recently revealed that Nissan is working on a next generation Nissan Frontier, but that truck will use an updated version of its current platform rather than move to a global one. Still it is possible that a future Frontier could move to the Mitsubishi based platform that is years away from production. In the meantime, Mitsubishi is working to expand its dealership network. There are some markets in the US where the brand is non-existent. So Mitsubishi is looking to expand in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York, and Boston. -
Mitsubishi dealers are living in interesting times. After a tumultuous fall in sales after the recession, the last year and a quarter has given Mitsubishi double digit gains in sales. Sales for 2018 rose 14 percent and so far this year, sales are up an astonishing 17.6 percent. The question for Mitsubishi is where do they go from here? With two small crossovers, a large one, and a subcompact car, the next logical answer for their dealers is adding a mid-size pickup to the mix. Mitsubishi last offered a pickup in the Mitsubishi Raider which was a rebadged Dodge Dakota. Now part of the Nissan-Renault alliance, Mitsubishi is reportedly taking the lead on building the platform for the next line of trucks for the trio. Mitsubishi currently builds the Triton for other global markets, while Nissan fields the Navara, and Renault produces the Alaskan. All three would be consolidated to a single platform headed by the Mitsubishi effort in about 5 years. Five years is an eternety in the automotive world, but it may be that the dealerships would need to wait that long to get their wish. It was recently revealed that Nissan is working on a next generation Nissan Frontier, but that truck will use an updated version of its current platform rather than move to a global one. Still it is possible that a future Frontier could move to the Mitsubishi based platform that is years away from production. In the meantime, Mitsubishi is working to expand its dealership network. There are some markets in the US where the brand is non-existent. So Mitsubishi is looking to expand in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New York, and Boston. View full article
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Ford is Hoping To Use Mustang DNA To Influence Future Models
William Maley posted an article in Ford
The Ford Mustang will being playing a vital role in the company's future. Compared to its other products, the Mustang has "bold, emotional designs that elicit passion among its customers." According to Automotive News, Ford is hoping to expand this idea to their upcoming lineup that will be mostly comprised of trucks and utility vehicles. "Mustang has a soul. It's a balance of performance and design. If you can capitalize on the cachet and let that rub off on the rest of the portfolio, it's a good thing," said Darrell Behmer, chief designer for the Mustang. A prime example is the upcoming Mach 1 EV crossover announced back in January. The model is expected to borrow a number of cues from the Mustang in the exterior design, and will possibly use the C2 platform - what underpins the next-generation Focus. What will not be appearing is the Mach 1 name for this new model. "We put that out there to evaluate it. There are pros and cons. I don't want to handicap it at this point, but we got a very strong reaction from people," Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets. 'Strong' is a nice way to describe the overall reaction as most people hated the possible name. Next-Generation Mustang Plans Automotive News also reports that the next-generation Mustang has been pushed back by a year - reportedly done by CEO Jim Hackett. The new model is expected to arrive in 2021 and move to one of the five new modular platforms announced by Ford. Automotive News expects it to be the RWD/AWD unibody that is expected to underpin the next-generation Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. Members of the Mustang team were mum on details for the next-generation model (not surprising), but did reveal that moving to a modular architecture wouldn't "hurt their design creativity." "Mustang is still going to be a strong, well proportioned vehicle. The modular architectures will still give us flexibility; it's not going to bastardize Mustang," said Behmer. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) -
The Ford Mustang will being playing a vital role in the company's future. Compared to its other products, the Mustang has "bold, emotional designs that elicit passion among its customers." According to Automotive News, Ford is hoping to expand this idea to their upcoming lineup that will be mostly comprised of trucks and utility vehicles. "Mustang has a soul. It's a balance of performance and design. If you can capitalize on the cachet and let that rub off on the rest of the portfolio, it's a good thing," said Darrell Behmer, chief designer for the Mustang. A prime example is the upcoming Mach 1 EV crossover announced back in January. The model is expected to borrow a number of cues from the Mustang in the exterior design, and will possibly use the C2 platform - what underpins the next-generation Focus. What will not be appearing is the Mach 1 name for this new model. "We put that out there to evaluate it. There are pros and cons. I don't want to handicap it at this point, but we got a very strong reaction from people," Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets. 'Strong' is a nice way to describe the overall reaction as most people hated the possible name. Next-Generation Mustang Plans Automotive News also reports that the next-generation Mustang has been pushed back by a year - reportedly done by CEO Jim Hackett. The new model is expected to arrive in 2021 and move to one of the five new modular platforms announced by Ford. Automotive News expects it to be the RWD/AWD unibody that is expected to underpin the next-generation Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. Members of the Mustang team were mum on details for the next-generation model (not surprising), but did reveal that moving to a modular architecture wouldn't "hurt their design creativity." "Mustang is still going to be a strong, well proportioned vehicle. The modular architectures will still give us flexibility; it's not going to bastardize Mustang," said Behmer. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
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With more people trending towards trucks and utility vehicles, it would be expected that prices on cars would be falling. But not on used cars according to Edmunds. In their latest Used Car Report, Edmunds says the average price for a used subcompact rose 3 percent in the first quarter. Compacts saw their average price increase by 3.9 percent. The reason according to the report is due to the increasing cost for a gallon of gas. "Used-car shoppers are typically more price-sensitive to changes in the market, but this is the first time in years that we're seeing renewed demand for smaller vehicles With rising fuel costs breathing fresh air into this segment, subcompact and compact cars are finally retaining value again," said Ivan Drury, senior manager of industry analysis at Edmunds. With rising gas prices, the expectation would be that prices on used trucks and utility vehicles would drop. But Edmunds says prices for these models are holding steady as buyers are willing to pay a bit more at the pump as they place "value on increased cargo capacity, ride height, and other SUV and truck features". Source: Edmunds View full article
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Prices of Used Subcompact and Compact Vehicles Are Rising
William Maley posted an article in Automotive Industry
With more people trending towards trucks and utility vehicles, it would be expected that prices on cars would be falling. But not on used cars according to Edmunds. In their latest Used Car Report, Edmunds says the average price for a used subcompact rose 3 percent in the first quarter. Compacts saw their average price increase by 3.9 percent. The reason according to the report is due to the increasing cost for a gallon of gas. "Used-car shoppers are typically more price-sensitive to changes in the market, but this is the first time in years that we're seeing renewed demand for smaller vehicles With rising fuel costs breathing fresh air into this segment, subcompact and compact cars are finally retaining value again," said Ivan Drury, senior manager of industry analysis at Edmunds. With rising gas prices, the expectation would be that prices on used trucks and utility vehicles would drop. But Edmunds says prices for these models are holding steady as buyers are willing to pay a bit more at the pump as they place "value on increased cargo capacity, ride height, and other SUV and truck features". Source: Edmunds -
If you have been following auto sales for the past few years, then you know that SUVs and trucks currently dominate the sales charts partly due to the low gas prices. This is especially true when it comes to the luxury segment, where utility models are eating sedans. But a new report from The New York Times reveals that American automakers are eating the lunches of luxury car manufacturers. According to data from Edmunds, the likes of Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC have seen their share of domestic sales of models with an average price of $60,000 steadily climbing, while luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Lexus have been declining. GMC, in particular, has shown the largest growth, accounting 11.3 percent of domestic sales of $60,000-plus models in 2017. Five years ago, the brand only made up 0.1 percent of those sales. A lot of this credit can be laid at the feet of GMC's Denali brands. At a recent investor conference, GM showed data that the Denali line had an average sale price of $56,000 - more than the average price of an Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz. “This thing is a money machine,” said GM's president Dan Ammann about Denali. Over at Ford, more than half of F-150 sales are made up by the Lariat, King Ranch, Raptor models. Only a few years ago, those models made up a third. Why are American automakers seeing a massive increase in expensive SUVs and trucks? Part of it comes down to price, but there is also the image. “We’ve been taking in Lexuses on trade-ins, BMWs," said Gary Gilchrist, owner of a GMC dealer in Tacoma, Washington. “People used to want German cars for the image factor. Now, if you have a Denali, you get that. People turn their heads to look.” Source: New York Times View full article
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More Luxury Car Buyers Are Moving to Trucks and SUVs
William Maley posted an article in Automotive Industry
If you have been following auto sales for the past few years, then you know that SUVs and trucks currently dominate the sales charts partly due to the low gas prices. This is especially true when it comes to the luxury segment, where utility models are eating sedans. But a new report from The New York Times reveals that American automakers are eating the lunches of luxury car manufacturers. According to data from Edmunds, the likes of Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC have seen their share of domestic sales of models with an average price of $60,000 steadily climbing, while luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Lexus have been declining. GMC, in particular, has shown the largest growth, accounting 11.3 percent of domestic sales of $60,000-plus models in 2017. Five years ago, the brand only made up 0.1 percent of those sales. A lot of this credit can be laid at the feet of GMC's Denali brands. At a recent investor conference, GM showed data that the Denali line had an average sale price of $56,000 - more than the average price of an Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz. “This thing is a money machine,” said GM's president Dan Ammann about Denali. Over at Ford, more than half of F-150 sales are made up by the Lariat, King Ranch, Raptor models. Only a few years ago, those models made up a third. Why are American automakers seeing a massive increase in expensive SUVs and trucks? Part of it comes down to price, but there is also the image. “We’ve been taking in Lexuses on trade-ins, BMWs," said Gary Gilchrist, owner of a GMC dealer in Tacoma, Washington. “People used to want German cars for the image factor. Now, if you have a Denali, you get that. People turn their heads to look.” Source: New York Times -
Europe is starting to develop a case of pickup truck fever. According to data from JATO Dynamics, 80,300 trucks were sold in Europe in the first half of this year. This pales in comparison to the 1.1 million full-size and 216,194 midsize trucks sold in the U.S. in the same timeframe. But sales in Europe are climbing. LMC Automotive says sales of trucks in Europe are up 19 percent and they predict sales will crest 200,000 next year. Why this steady rise in pickups? According to Automotive News Europe, it comes down to the lack of alternatives and government regulations. "One of the reasons is usage. Previously people used large, body-on-frame SUVs to tow boats or horse trailers. Nowadays, with high regulations and pressure [to move to] small engines with dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, it's not really possible to use SUVs to tow. People with these hobbies need to have a truck," said Renault's product director of pickups, Anton Lysyy. Take for example the Land Rover Defender. When production of this off-road icon ended last year, many buyers switched to the likes of the Ford Ranger as it offered the off-road capability of the Defender. Truck manufacturers have taken notice of this increase in sales and are starting to offer more extras. That includes new infotainment systems, active safety equipment, and a long list of accessories such as hardtops. New manufacturers are wanting to take a slice of this growing market as well. Mercedes-Benz will soon be launching their X-Class, while Renault announced their Alaskan truck (both models based on the Nissan Navara). PSA Group revealed earlier this year that it would be working with Chinese automaker Changan Automobile on developing a new truck that would be sold in China and Europe in 2020. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required) -
Europe is starting to develop a case of pickup truck fever. According to data from JATO Dynamics, 80,300 trucks were sold in Europe in the first half of this year. This pales in comparison to the 1.1 million full-size and 216,194 midsize trucks sold in the U.S. in the same timeframe. But sales in Europe are climbing. LMC Automotive says sales of trucks in Europe are up 19 percent and they predict sales will crest 200,000 next year. Why this steady rise in pickups? According to Automotive News Europe, it comes down to the lack of alternatives and government regulations. "One of the reasons is usage. Previously people used large, body-on-frame SUVs to tow boats or horse trailers. Nowadays, with high regulations and pressure [to move to] small engines with dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, it's not really possible to use SUVs to tow. People with these hobbies need to have a truck," said Renault's product director of pickups, Anton Lysyy. Take for example the Land Rover Defender. When production of this off-road icon ended last year, many buyers switched to the likes of the Ford Ranger as it offered the off-road capability of the Defender. Truck manufacturers have taken notice of this increase in sales and are starting to offer more extras. That includes new infotainment systems, active safety equipment, and a long list of accessories such as hardtops. New manufacturers are wanting to take a slice of this growing market as well. Mercedes-Benz will soon be launching their X-Class, while Renault announced their Alaskan truck (both models based on the Nissan Navara). PSA Group revealed earlier this year that it would be working with Chinese automaker Changan Automobile on developing a new truck that would be sold in China and Europe in 2020. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required) View full article
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C&D published the following story about the 70's special edition trucks. Some are just so funny as I never heard or saw them, others are clearly not PC in today's world and others are just funny as heck. What was marketing thinking? A special set of stickers makes the truck better than the default truck of the same package? Some will like certain models just like me. I actually like the GMC Diablo, which really is just an rebadge El Camino. Never knew that the Chevy Luv truck was sold in 77 as a Mighty Mike version, but nothing better other than a 10hp bump in the engine. Seems all the domestic makers went through a clearly Indian theme on blazers, broncos and the trucks with their feather motif. Check it out, pretty surprising on some, meh on others. http://www.caranddriver.com/flipbook/mondo-macho-special-edition-trucks-of-the-70s-k-billys-super-badge-and-stripe-jobs
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com EV Trucks, What are your options? Last week, Ellen Musk, CEO of Tesla start his normal dog n pony show about his company and the future and touched on Semi Trucks and an electric pickup. While there has been plenty of photo shopped images of a tesla pickup, this made me think about what are the current EV options for pickup trucks today on American roads? We will start with one of many startups that is now in production. EV Fleet has started production of their 100 mile range pickup. Considered to be one of the best in slipping through the air. EV Fleet has a multitude of options from a basic cab only truck for full customization to normal pickups and box'd versions and even a Solar option that during the day can add up to 40 miles to the range of the truck. The companies focus is on inner city use by companies and city government. The EV Fleet Pickup has a 1000lb capacity payload if you go with the normal bed. 100 mile range on their current battery pack with a .026 coefficient of drag. EV Fleet web site Bremach Motors USA takes a totally off road MOG inspired approach to the EV Truck and has one of the most usable battery packs. The T-Rex as they call it is a serious EV Pickup Truck. 6000lb carrying capacity in a 4x4 platform with a 100kWh battery pack that gives a solid 200 mile range while offering 10-30 amp outlets for powering your tools too. 200hp / 400 lbs of torque Bremach Motors USA web site Smith Electric has taken an interesting approach on focusing on the delivery business in cities and has customers like Coke, Frito Lays, Staples, as well as building pure EV transportation for companies that have their own private fleet of people haulers. Smith electric which is more known internationally than in the US just signed an agreement with FDG Electric Vehicles out of China to design and build for the US market light and medium duty trucks for the US market. Smith Electric web site Another company that has taken on a niche market is OrangeEV, a company focused on pure electric EV Terminal trucks. These are trucks that move containers around the yard. OrangeEV web site The final company is not a pure EV truck, but a Hybrid that has been around for a long time. Giving you 40 miles of pure electric and a total of 400 plus miles with the VIA motors has been making hybrid trucks and SUVs for years, but their current push is to move cities into buying their conversion trucks to go greener and still maintain distance. VIA Motors web site No matter if you like, love or hate electrification, I suspect that EVs are here to stay. Having both plug-in hybrids like what is offered by VIA or pure electric like what is offered by EV Fleet or Bremach Motors. There is something for everyone. What do you think of these early options for electrification of trucks?
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G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com The Tesla of Hybrid Trucks and UTV's, Nikola? Nikola Motor Company is a 3 year old auto company that has just come out of skunk mode. They announced this week two items that are a passion of the CEO. First is the Nikola One Electric Semi-Truck and the second is the Nikola Zero their electric UTV. Starting off with their Nikola Zero slated for delivery in mid 2017 is a 150 mile Range 400 volt, 520 HP / 476 lb-ft of torque 4x4 all wheel drive off road quad. This UTV has a solar roof for powering all electronics allowing the battery pack to be dedicated to the powertrain. You can reserve yours now for only $750.00 based on the MSRP of $42,000. The Nikola One is their electric Semi-Truck. This truck is a 6x6 100% pure electric drive with zero idle. 2,000 HP / 3700 lb-ft of torque with a 1200 mile range, regenerative braking, LNG Turbine generator for charging the battery pack on the go. You can review their products in detail here at their web site. Nikola Motor Company
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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will produce no more passenger cars in the U.S. early next year. The Dodge Dart will end production in September, while production of the Chrysler 200 will cease in December. This is to make way for more production of SUVs and trucks - Jeep Cherokee at Belvidere, Illinois and Sterling Heights, MI for the next-gen Ram 1500. "By the time we finish with this, hopefully, all of our production assets in the United States — if you exclude Canada and Mexico from the fold — all those U.S. plants will be producing either Jeeps or Ram," said FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne during a call with analysts yesterday. Why would FCA end passenger car production in the U.S.? Profit margins. The Detroit Free Press reports this is part of Marchionne's multibillion-dollar plan to match the profit margins seen at Ford and General Motors. Part of the plan involves taking advantage of the popularity of crossovers, SUVs, and trucks in the U.S.; low gas prices, and the lower costs of producing passenger cars in Mexico. "When you look at the economics of car manufacturing ...the margins that we were getting from our experience of both the Dart and the Chrysler 200 ...yielded returns that would not, on a competitive basis, match even anything close or remotely close to what we could derive from utilization of those assets in the Jeep or Ram world. So we have made that shift," Marchionne said. Despite FCA ending production of both the Dart and 200, Marchionne said he is still looking for a partner to build these vehicles. “I think we have made progress. We’re not in a position to announce anything." But would any automaker be willing to take up FCA's offer? "Who would want to commit to that capacity in their own plant when they didn't sell well when they were new?" said Dave Sullivan, an analyst with AutoPacific to Automotive News. "No one wants to build sedans when their own capacity is at a premium and they can't build enough crossovers to satisfy demand." Source: Detroit Free Press, Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will produce no more passenger cars in the U.S. early next year. The Dodge Dart will end production in September, while production of the Chrysler 200 will cease in December. This is to make way for more production of SUVs and trucks - Jeep Cherokee at Belvidere, Illinois and Sterling Heights, MI for the next-gen Ram 1500. "By the time we finish with this, hopefully, all of our production assets in the United States — if you exclude Canada and Mexico from the fold — all those U.S. plants will be producing either Jeeps or Ram," said FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne during a call with analysts yesterday. Why would FCA end passenger car production in the U.S.? Profit margins. The Detroit Free Press reports this is part of Marchionne's multibillion-dollar plan to match the profit margins seen at Ford and General Motors. Part of the plan involves taking advantage of the popularity of crossovers, SUVs, and trucks in the U.S.; low gas prices, and the lower costs of producing passenger cars in Mexico. "When you look at the economics of car manufacturing ...the margins that we were getting from our experience of both the Dart and the Chrysler 200 ...yielded returns that would not, on a competitive basis, match even anything close or remotely close to what we could derive from utilization of those assets in the Jeep or Ram world. So we have made that shift," Marchionne said. Despite FCA ending production of both the Dart and 200, Marchionne said he is still looking for a partner to build these vehicles. “I think we have made progress. We’re not in a position to announce anything." But would any automaker be willing to take up FCA's offer? "Who would want to commit to that capacity in their own plant when they didn't sell well when they were new?" said Dave Sullivan, an analyst with AutoPacific to Automotive News. "No one wants to build sedans when their own capacity is at a premium and they can't build enough crossovers to satisfy demand." Source: Detroit Free Press, Automotive News (Subscription Required) -
G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com MB Urban eTruck - First or what? July 27th Mercedes-Benz presented their first electric heavy duty truck, the Urban eTruck. This truck has a range of 200 km or about 126 miles, so long haul this is not, but inner city deliveries, this is the green solution many west coast cities have been asking for even as Paccar, the builder of Kenworth and Peterbuilt has gone full production on LNG and CNG trucks for the city to reduce the diesel emission that cities have complained about. Mercedes-Benz stated yesterday that they were the first electric heavy duty truck to be shown off. This is a debatable point considering startups like Nikola Motor Company that I posted about back in May of this year had already shown off their prototype and was lining up additional funding for production. That story is found here The Tesla of Hybrid Trucks and UTV's, Nikola? I will leave that debate up to which company truly produced the first electric truck. Especially since Fuso has had their Fuso Canter E-Cell truck actually in production since 2014. Funny thing is MB also talks about their investment in Fuso with plenty of praise here on their web site. MB Next The point of this story is that Mercedes-Benz is focused on building and delivering an inner city eTruck for use in deliveries that will remove noise and pollution from the streets. Wolfgang Bernhard, CEO Daimler Trucks and Buses, says this eTruck should go into production at the beginning of the next decade, so 2020 is the estimated launch of production purchasable trucks. MB eTruck web announcement So is MB first, second or is it just cool to know that silent delivery trucks will be coming to a city near you in the next few years and we will not have to breath the diesel exhaust or hear the rumble of the truck bounce off the walls of the buildings or the idling as they wait to deliver their freight. Clearly the next 5 years will be exciting as the city changes into a much cleaner area, quieter and more livable.
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The EPA released their annual report on the trends of emissions and fuel economy for light vehicles and the results are a bit mixed. The average fuel economy of new cars and trucks came to 24.3 mpg for 2014. This was the same fuel economy average for 2013, when the average increased by 0.6 mpg. 2014 was the first year since 2011 where fleet-wide fuel economy didn't increase. Why no increase? The EPA says growing demand for crossovers, SUVs, and trucks along with lower gas prices offset the fleet-wide efficiency gains. Christopher Grundler, director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality tells Automotive News that he's not worried about the slowdown in fleet-wide mpg improvements. “The whole policy was designed explicitly to preserve consumer choice. In 2014, the mix shifted a little bit, but overall we are exactly where we expected to be with greenhouse gas reductions,” said Grundler. There was some good news from the report. The average carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles were 13 grams per mile lower than 2014 targets. Also, the average fuel economy for trucks climbed 0.6 mpg to 20.4. The EPA says that 0.6 mpg increase in the second-highest gain in 30 years. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), EPA View full article
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The EPA released their annual report on the trends of emissions and fuel economy for light vehicles and the results are a bit mixed. The average fuel economy of new cars and trucks came to 24.3 mpg for 2014. This was the same fuel economy average for 2013, when the average increased by 0.6 mpg. 2014 was the first year since 2011 where fleet-wide fuel economy didn't increase. Why no increase? The EPA says growing demand for crossovers, SUVs, and trucks along with lower gas prices offset the fleet-wide efficiency gains. Christopher Grundler, director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality tells Automotive News that he's not worried about the slowdown in fleet-wide mpg improvements. “The whole policy was designed explicitly to preserve consumer choice. In 2014, the mix shifted a little bit, but overall we are exactly where we expected to be with greenhouse gas reductions,” said Grundler. There was some good news from the report. The average carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles were 13 grams per mile lower than 2014 targets. Also, the average fuel economy for trucks climbed 0.6 mpg to 20.4. The EPA says that 0.6 mpg increase in the second-highest gain in 30 years. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), EPA -
To meet the growing demand for pickups in the U.S., Toyota will be boosting production of the Tacoma and Tundra in 2016. Bill Fay, head of Toyota's U.S. division says a third shift has been added to their Baja California, Mexico plant (Tacoma) and an additional 250 workers, plus a more flexible work schedule to its San Antonio, Texas plant (Tacoma and Tundra). The new workers and extra production will be in place in San Antonio by the middle of next year, said Fay. At the moment, Toyota's dealers are sitting on a 20-day supply of the Tundra, while the Tacoma is at a 10-day supply. "If you were to ask any of our U.S. dealers what they want, I'd say every one of them would say 'More trucks," said Bob Carter, senior vice president for U.S. Toyota operations. Source: Reuters View full article
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To meet the growing demand for pickups in the U.S., Toyota will be boosting production of the Tacoma and Tundra in 2016. Bill Fay, head of Toyota's U.S. division says a third shift has been added to their Baja California, Mexico plant (Tacoma) and an additional 250 workers, plus a more flexible work schedule to its San Antonio, Texas plant (Tacoma and Tundra). The new workers and extra production will be in place in San Antonio by the middle of next year, said Fay. At the moment, Toyota's dealers are sitting on a 20-day supply of the Tundra, while the Tacoma is at a 10-day supply. "If you were to ask any of our U.S. dealers what they want, I'd say every one of them would say 'More trucks," said Bob Carter, senior vice president for U.S. Toyota operations. Source: Reuters
